please help me so confused

[kimmerjo]

Ok I need help planning my watering system. I really like the PVC pipe waterers with holes NOT nipples. I want to have a 55 gal bucket outside my coop that feeds water into the PVC inside my coop. I don't know how to make it so the water stops when the PVC is full:/ I don't have electric to my coop. Any ideas will help

 

[barnaclebob]

Do you have a link to the watering system you are talking about? Why don't you like the nipples? They are clean and easy.

 

[barnaclebob]

Do you have a link to the watering system you are talking about? Why don't you like the nipples? They are clean and easy.

 

[kimmerjo]

I can't find the site it was on here somewhere. I just really want a system that I fill from outside of the coop to avoid spills I'm a clutz. Plus I live in ny so it gets cold so my water will freeze no electric or hose can be ran to the coop. I'm not opposed to nipples my husband is :/ any ideas?

 

[LoneOak]

I've never seen a PVC system with just holes in the pvc, I don't think that would work very well at all. You might want to take a look at the water system I built using Horizontal nipples, Brand new Horizontal nipple water system for a really old coop! It works really well and has no leaks at all. The horizontal nipples are jam up and work great, you can buy them from Rich386.

In the winter you will have to do like I do if you don't have any electricity. Drain the water system and have two of the standard double walled galvanized waters. Keep one in the house thawed out and warm and replace the frozen one every morning. If you had electricity you could put a piece of heat tape on the pipes and keep them from freezing. I'm going to try it this coming winter because I bought two lengths of heat tape at a surplus store that was going out of business for $3 each.

 

[4 the Birds]

Any type of open water device will need daily attention. I doubt that you will find an open water system (one without nipples) that is maintenance free and you just add water. Keep the water raised and it will stay clean longer.

Nipples are nice and require less cleaning but they would need to be heated in the Winter to keep them from freezing. The standard 1 gallon or 2 gallon hanging plastic waterer works well and I use a heated version for the Winter months. The trough can be tipped easy enough to drain dirty water and the dispenser will refill. I prefer simple open water so that I can see that the birds have water and have easy access. Without power, you will often need to swap water containers (during frigid weather) to keep the water from freezing.

 

[kimmerjo]

Ok thanks I will go with the hanging bucket style easy to clean and swap during winter. I like those nipples maybe I could do that in the summer for the run

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have tried several watering systems all have there strong points and weak points. I only have a dozen hens. I have come to the realization that hens do not need water 24/7.

Watering systems work well but are hard to clean and can harbour disease.

I have a well and my water is not chlorinated. Chlorinated water can be a plus for watering systems.

I have gone to rubber buckets. I know my birds are always getting fresh clean water daily. I water once through the summer and 2 times daily in the winter time ice just pops out of my buckets.

Easy peasy.

 

[kimmerjo]

Im just going the easy and clean route for now I'm afraid of catching this chicken fever everyone talking about and end up with 100 birds to water

 

[chynasparks]

I have just 4 pullets. I have been trying to get my water system for them that doesn't get dirty. Plastic hangers are a pain for me. Gotta lug them out, they spill, tip it over, twist it apart, lug it back. Eventually the plastic waterer didn't twist open. Like it was stuck. I had to fight with it to twist apart. I went and got the galvanized double wall waterer. It's ok but I have to spill water to break the vacuum to get the outer wall off. So I'm spilling water in the run just to change it. I'm using sand in the run so it dries back to sand, but I just don't like being messy about it. It doesn't hang, that's a +. I have it elevated. One of my girls decided it would be fun to stand on it. Didn't think they would because of the shape but she did, and bombs away-dirty water. So I hung a metal round plate over it. That problem solved. I'm thing about going to a system I saw on beaktime.com. It's a water nipple system that uses in igloo or Rubbermaid water cans. It has two nipples on a reservoir that you can see water through it. It fits on the spicket of the container. I think you can buy just the nippler attachment or order one assembled to a container. With just 4 birds that would be ideal - if they use it. Will they know how to use it?